SES orders 28 satellites from K2 Space for next-gen MEO network

TAMPA, Fla. — SES has ordered an initial 28 satellites from manufacturing startup K2 Space for meoSphere, a next-generation medium Earth orbit (MEO) network slated to be in operation by 2030.

The network would support up to 1 gigabit per second Ka-band broadband for flat-panel antennas as small as 25 by 25 centimeters and up to 4 Gbps using parabolic antennas for high-capacity connections, alongside optical links of up to 100 Gbps to relay traffic between satellites and emerging infrastructure such as space stations and orbital data centers.

A source familiar with the situation said SpaceX is slated to launch an initial SES-K2 meoSphere pathfinder March 30 from Vandenberg, California. The pathfinder, which at 2,200 kilograms would be the same size as the operational spacecraft, includes optical technology designed primarily to test links between satellites and an optical ground station supplied by France's Cailabs.